Starbucks Canada has gotten tired of pouring all that 18% coffee cream down the drain

Starbucks locations across Canada are no longer interested in serving the cream for your coffee — at least not the thicker kind.

The pitchers in each store no longer include 18 per cent cream as an option, as a result of low demand for its decadence symbolized by its percentage of fat, although the 12 per cent half-and-half variety will remain available.

As a result of the changes, which took effect in mid-April, the milk options are now down to a maximum of six: 2 per cent, whole milk, half-and-half, non-fat, soy and, at least in some markets, lactose-free.

Yet only the 2 per cent and half-and-half will be available in carafes on the condiment stand as the others are now relegated to a refrigerator behind the bar in its over 1,200 locations across Canada, according to Starbucks Canada communications manager Carly Suppa.

“18 per cent cream is the golden secret of coffee shops”

The change in policy also means a reduction in the amount of liquid dairy being poured down the drain once it reaches its expiration date.

Nonetheless, if any organization was equipped to address the depletion of cream from the coffee chain, it would be the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Genevieve Latour, assistant director of communications, delivered the following statement of support for the beleaguered white stuff:

“18 per cent cream is the golden secret of coffee shops as it helps mellow out bitterness while keeping the coffee flavour and aroma. As coffee is approximately 2 per cent dissolved solids and 98 per cent water, a minor addition of 18 per cent cream can definitely change taste and aroma — for the better!

“Dairy Farmers of Canada strives to create favourable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future, and we are always pleased to hear that Canadians have multiple options to improve their coffee.”

Despite the changes, though, enthusiasts of 18 per cent cream will presumably not be discouraged from smuggling their own flask or thimble into Starbucks — or just learn to deal with the half-and-half.